


Love is in the Maldraxxus

by maldraxxus-official (mechadogmarron)



Series: Maldraxxus Days [2]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen, Love is in the Air, Maldraxxus (Warcraft), One Shot, Slice of Life, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29450601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mechadogmarron/pseuds/maldraxxus-official
Summary: Heirmir wonders what's up with all of these (literally) stinking mortals. Emeni receives a royal tribute. Marileth plays with slimes. And all of Maldraxxus discovers the real meaning of Love is in the Air.
Relationships: Marileth (Warcraft) & Heirmir (Warcraft) & Emeni (Warcraft)
Series: Maldraxxus Days [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134134
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Love is in the Maldraxxus

There had been less mortals around today than usual. Stranger still, many of those visiting - offense not meant - _stank_. Heirmir had retained her sense of smell despite not having a nose. It had been regrettable at first, but nowadays she was used to the persistent stench of rot that her homeland had. The one time she had been asked to report to another realm, the clean air had felt foreign and off-kilter. And the sickly scents the mortals wore today were disgusting. Even the gentle, kind, sweet murmurs and feelings she kept catching from her mortal Soulbinds weren't enough to improve her move. 

Which was just more evidence that something was up. The Maw Walkers were not the sort for gentleness, generally speaking. Lying with men or women, sure, but those with commitments and emotional depths rarely decided to plunge headfirst into the Maw itself, and those who did were more caught up in the romantic binding rituals of Bastion or the natural beauty of Ardenweald than they were with her rotten home. She didn't mind; sentimentality didn't suit Maldraxxan culture. 

"Emeni, have the mortals mentioned anything about today to you?" The construct was at least _slightly_ preferable to Marileth, on a whole; her royal pride was balanced out by a true sense of loyalty and commitment to what was right. And she could construct an internally consistent sentence that reflected the real state of the world around them, an advantage that she wished she didn't have to be so appreciative of. The Purpose had seen fit to send Marileth here, and he'd been successful in his House, the Margrave herself's most beloved Soulbind. But she couldn't understand why. 

"One gave me a box of chocolates. I imagine she was impressed with my sheer strength and regality and felt the need to bring me a royal tribute." Emeni's rough voice broke her from her thoughts. "Mortals are strange. I wouldn't worry too much about it." 

"I wouldn't say I'm _worried_. I'd just like to know what they're up to. Anything interesting come across on your Soulbinds?"

"A lot of sugar. It's a delightful taste. I'll admit, I miss my royal diet. The other Constructs here at the Seat pay tribute how they can, but they have their limits." 

"I suppose they would." You looked at her and you looked at something like Chordy, and you could tell that they weren't really in the same league. "Any luckydoos?"

"Don't speak to me of luckydoos." She rolled her eyes. It was amazing how expressive her artificial body was. They might not have as beautiful a Stitchyard as the House of Constructs proper did, but they had quite the stitchers operating it. Hard to argue with the results. "If you're so curious, ask one of the mortals. We've had a full five minutes without seeing one, which I'm sure means one will appear any moment."

True to her words, it didn't take long for the worgen to pad in, running like the Jailer himself was chasing him. The new mask he wore resembled Marileth's; presumably his raid on the Castle had gone well, and he was now looking to deposit the Conduits he'd found at the Forge proper. He, at least, still smelled like a dog and not like a perfumed... dog. "Mortal."

"Yes?" His voice was gruff, with the same heavy accent every Worgen seemed to have, but though he sounded vaguely irritated, their bond carried a pleased note. "If it's about the hidden forge over in Chosen territory, I'm sorry I couldn't help out yesterday. My sister and I-" 

"No, it's not about that. There are plenty of hands to go around nowadays. It's enough you're bringing in condensed anima from Nathria. Though more is always better. Is it a mortal event for you Azerothians? All of you smell."

"Hm? Oh, yes, Love is in the Air. It's a holiday. We all eat chocolate, put on perfume, and give gifts and bracelets. It's something of a tradition for us Champions to leave them as tribute to our King, but of course, that's not possible this year, at least for the Alliance." A sour note; it hurt that Anduin hadn't yet been saved while Baine sat free on the floor of Oribos. "Which reminds me. Emeni, you're a princess, aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm glad someone's finally remembered."

"Close enough, then. Here." He presented a charm bracelet. The charms appeared to be butchered bits of horn from several dragons, a chunk of stone from one of those Venthyr rock dogs, and some unidentifiable spinal segments. It was so wonderfully Maldraxxan; Heirmir could tell Emeni loved it from the way her construct's face became indiscernibly warped. "Some of the Alliance champions have been presenting them to some other Champion who dressed up like Anduin, but it's a horrible pastiche of the tradition, if you ask me. An absolute mockery. I'd rather support a real royal."

"Hmph. Finally, someone recognizes me! I thank you, mortal."

"Indeed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare for the coming battle."

"More of Nathria?" 

"No, no. Worse yet, the Crown Chemical Company."

Marileth, who had been ignoring the conversation to play with his slimes, walked over, the strange new green slime he'd been raising in his arms. "Chemicals?"

"Oh, yes. They make all of the chocolate we give out, and the perfumes we wear. Of course, they also make horrific bioweapons that threaten to destroy all life on Azeroth, so we have to show up at their headquarters once a year and slaughter them all in hopes of saving the world and perhaps plundering some of their weapons-grade rocket technology." 

"What a wonderful tradition! Why, we never had anything like that when I was alive. It's an awful shame the Arbiter's not up and running; I'm sure we'd get plenty of new recruits for the revived House of Plagues otherwise." A shadow fell across the mortal's face, but Marileth either didn't notice or didn't care. "A holiday devoted to creating and stopping plagues, what a wonderful concept!" 

"Clearly it's about paying tribute," Emeni argued. 

"No, no." The worgen shook his head. "It's about love. I've no interest in the whole mess, but it's a traditional time for lovers, and in more recent years good friends as well. Back in Gilenas, it was always about the former, though, and I just can't bring myself to celebrate a platonic tradition. I'm surprised no one started up a similar tradition here."

"Why would they? It's not like we don't have love here, but in Maldraxxus we recognize that the best way to celebrate it is in the arena!" Emeni said. 

"The couple that slays together stays together," Heirmir said with a nod. It was common knowledge. "I'll let Araya know. She's been making eyes at the anima weaver. Yandere Hex, I think the name is." She didn't often leave the Forge of Bonds, except when the Champion asked her along on one of the adventures they went on. Without an actual _forge-_ forge, there was little point but to wait. She wasn't much a combatant. 

"Oh, you know who we should tell? Vole. We could totally have a couple's challenge at the Arena!" Emeni said. "What do you think, Marileth?"

"Oh?" What expression he wore behind his mask was, as it often was, a compelling secret. "Sorry, I was lost in thought! It happens more and more often these days, I'm afraid! Do you think they'd let me enter Kevin and Plaguey as a couple?"

"Do slimes... have couples?"

"They're a couple as in there's two of them!" 

The worgen laughed. "Go for it." 

(The tournament wasn't much of a success - not a lot of Maldraxxi couples nowadays - but it was something new. And that, at least, put a little hope in Heirmir's heart.)

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day to all!


End file.
